It makes sense to care about what you are applying to your precious skin and what you are putting into your diffuser and breathing in. There are many essential oils on the market, so how can you differentiate between good and bad quality essential oils? 

Firstly, let’s make clear the things that are NOT indicators of quality in an essential oil. Why? Because it is just as important to filter out any marketing terms and claims, which offer no real value in the evaluation of a quality essential oil. 

Quality is not about unfounded marketing claims and phrases, coined to create an illusion of superiority over other brands. Be careful if you come across terms such as ‘therapeutic grade’, ‘highest grade’ or ‘suitable for internal use grade’. These can sadly be accompanied by outrageously high priced essential oils that are justified by the claim of being any particular ‘grade of oil’. This is a marketing ploy to generate sales and hike prices.

There are, in fact, no ‘therapeutic grade’ or extra pure ‘internal use grade’ of essential oils. Regardless of perceived quality or purity, essential oils should never be used internally, unless under the guidance of a highly trained aromatherapist, specialising in this area of use. Even then many aromatherapists feel this practice is still unnecessary. Essential oils are potent, highly concentrated natural plant essences, even when applied to the skin, they should be diluted to avoid any adverse reactions. 

Luckily, there are several helpful indicators for detecting a quality essential oil. Quality meaning a 100% pure and natural, unadulterated, undiluted essential oil extracted from an essential oil-producing blends plant. This is quality, this is as close to nature as the bottled oil can be. Nothing is purer than nature, but pure and natural, doesn’t automatically mean it’s safe to ingest. Think of poison ivy for example! Natural, but poisonous.

 Here are the top 10 essential oil quality factors:

1. What is actually in the bottle? This starts with reading the label and any website information thoroughly. At first glance, you may think you are purchasing a 100% pure, natural essential oil. Be on the lookout for the phrase ‘essential oil’ NOT ‘fragrance oil’ or ‘diluted in’. Other reassuring phrases which can be found are ‘100% pure, natural essential oil’. You are trying to ascertain if this is an essential oil from nature, not a synthetic fragrance oil or essential oil which has been diluted or adulterated in any way.
   
   
2.  A fragrance oil has no therapeutic actions or properties: Nature identical oils are produced in a lab where chemicals are manipulated to mimic the composition of a naturally occurring essential oil. However, they leave out the trace components found in the pure extracted essential oil. The trace components are often disregarded, but actually, they are as integral to the essential oil as the main components and create a whole essential oil with a unique symphony and mysterious life force found only in nature. This cannot be replicated in a lab.
   
   
3. Find the botanical name (which should appear on the bottle and is written in Latin): For example, on a Bergamot essential oil label, you should also find the botanical name Citrus bergamia. This identifies the exact species in the bottle. Common names are not enough on their own as some species share the same common name, but have very different actions and properties as well as safety considerations.
   
   
4. Price: Essential oils are precious resources and as such, this is reflected in the price. Use your instinct and if the price seems too good to be true, then it almost certainly is. Essential oils can vary widely in price from oil to oil, reflecting the yield size and availability of each particular oil. With citrus essential oils being at the lower end of the spectrum and the more luxury essential oils such as Jasmine or Rose reaching much higher prices. Again conversely, outrageously high prices, do not indicate a superior quality either.
   
   
5. Do a little research into the company you are buying from:  Are they open and honest, do they supply information easily and correctly label their oils? Do they use unsubstantiated marketing terms or only state the true and honest facts? Answering some of these questions can help you feel reassured that the company you are buying from is reputable and genuine. If in doubt feel free to ask questions, they should be more than happy to help.
   
   
6. Aroma: Our sense of smell is incredibly powerful and again using your instinct here, will go a long way. Does the essential oil smell pure or is there something off? Trust your nose and instincts. Fragrance oils can smell artificial and overly strong. One thing to note is that essential oils are natural extracts. They can and do vary in odour, colour and density. This can be detected, but as long as it still smells familiar as the essential oil indicated, do not be concerned by minor variations from batch to batch. This is a good sign and means that this is a pure essential oil.
   
   
7. Have the essential oils been GC/MS (Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry) tested and analysed? They should have if not already. It is one of the key ways to determine the chemical blueprint of the essential oil, confirming if this is a genuine essential oil and the type expected. It also looks out for signs of adulteration and dilution. The company you buy from should regularly check the batches they are being supplied with to ensure all of the above.
   
   
8. Have the country of origin and part of the plant used been listed? These are important pieces of information determining the authenticity of the oil. Each essential oil has its own likely country or countries of origin. Each one is more likely to come from a particular part of the world depending on its plants’ preferred climate. It can be a bit concerning when an essential oil appears to come from an unexpected country of origin for what is to be expected for the growing conditions of that plant. 
   
   
9. Has it been ‘watered down’ with a diluent? Some more expensive essential oils could be diluted down with a carrier oil or similar smelling oil to reduce the overall cost. Luxury essential oils can be more expensive, this reflects the labour that is involved in the yield of the essential oil-producing plant and the amount of plant material needed.
   
   
10. The bottle: It should be bottled in a dark glass, to avoid degradation through light. If it is in a clear bottle, then an outer container should also be provided to store it when not in use.

Taking the above factors into account when purchasing essential oils, should leave you feeling pretty confident that what you are buying is a pure, quality essential oil. Rather than a fragrance oil or a diluted, adulterated or even wrongly labelled essential oil. One that should benefit your body and mind and not cause any negative impact. 

Becoming an essential oil investigator ensures that you purchase great quality essential oils every time. Want to find out more about our essential oils. Get in touch by messaging us via live chat, on our social media or you can contact us here.